Sordidity
by LadyLilyMalfoy
Summary: WARNING: SLASH. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are in a stable, happy relationship. But insecurity gets the best of everybody sometimes, bringing out the worst in even the most lovely of people.
1. Sordidity 1

**Sordidity**

_I'm dying to catch my breath  
Oh why don't I ever learn?  
I've lost all my trust,  
though I've surely tried to turn it around _

Can you still see the heart of me?  
All my agony fades away  
when you hold me in your embrace

Don't tear me down for all I need  
Make my heart a better place  
Give me something I can believe  
Don't tear me down  
You've opened the door now, don't let it close

I'm here on the edge again  
I wish I could let it go  
I know that I'm only one step away  
from turning it around

Can you still see the heart of me?  
All my agony fades away  
when you hold me in your embrace

Don't tear me down for all I need  
Make my heart a better place  
Give me something I can believe

Don't tear it down, what's left of me  
Make my heart a better place

* * *

"Harry?"

"Mmm?"

"Why aren't you ready? I thought we were going out tonight. You promised we would."

"I'm not n the mood. I just want to stay in, okay?"

"Oh…well, do you want to rent a movie or something then? Remember that one you said you wanted to see when it came out?"

"No. You go."

"It's okay; I really don't mind staying-"

"_Draco_! Just go out, okay? I want to be on my own for a while! We don't have to spend every waking moment of every single _bloody_ day together, for Christ's sake!"

"N-no. Of course not. Sorry Harry."

"Just…just be careful, all right?"

"I will. See you in a bit."

"Yeah…"

* * *

Harry Potter sighed deeply and slouched back on the settee, downing the last of his green wine in one. He felt kind of bad for letting Draco down, especially considering that they hadn't been out for at least a week. 

But Draco was so _clingy_! Harry knew that he was insecure, but sometimes it got to the point where Harry just wanted to slap him and tell him to stop being such a paranoid idiot.

Not that Harry didn't feel guilty for yelling at Draco. He _did_. And the way those big grey eyes would stare at him, all hurt and sorry…it made the famous Potter's heart melt and his knees go weak just thinking about it.

Harry shook his bespectacled head in an attempt to dislodge the guilt and reached for the TV remote. Adverts flashed onto the screen, accompanied by a cheery jingle which told him, rather forcefully, to smile. 

Harry tried to smile. He hoped that Draco wouldn't be gone too long. He hoped that Draco wouldn't go far. He hoped that Draco had sense enough not to talk to anyone…

Unconsciously, Harry's hands curled into fists.

Harry knew that he was possessive, but he couldn't help it; that was why he disliked going into bars with Draco so much as the beautiful blonde would undoubtedly attract far too much attention from both silly girls and ugly men. Not that Harry Potter was jealous, of course. It was just that he could see how much all this unwanted attention scared Draco. The gorgeous, flirtatious angel who Harry loved so much would be transformed into a timid, frightened little boy with downcast eyes, who would cling onto Harry's arm as they steered through the oppressive crowds.

No, Harry James Potter- Boy Who Lived was _not_ the jealous type. He just wanted to look after his pretty boy-friend and keep him away from ugly people with their ugly ideas.

As the main feature (Emmerdale, to which Harry was rather partial) danced onto the set, Harry pondered on ways to make it up to the young Malfoy. Maybe they would just sit here and cuddle, maybe watch a movie, and fall asleep in each other's arm. Or, alternatively, Harry would get Draco completely wasted, then shag his brains out and fall asleep in each other's arms.

The outcome, ultimately, would be the same and Harry knew which would be his first choice.

* * *

Draco Malfoy trudged along by the canal- shoulders hunched, hands thrust deep into his pockets as protection against the cold. He wished he hadn't made an effort with his appearance tonight. Draco could feel the small groups of people eyeing him appraisingly from the tables outside the various bars and clubs. 

Draco hated attention, especially when he was alone.

Doing his very best to ignore the eyes fixed upon him, Draco traipsed on. He wanted to turn around and run back to the flat, back to Harry. But, more than that, he didn't want Harry to be angry at him anymore. And so, if Harry wanted to be left alone, then Draco would leave him alone.

"Oi! Blondie!"

Draco instantly tensed and quickened his all ready rapid pace. But the man's voice- harsh and sneering- followed him.

"Hey! I'm talkin' to you!"

Slowly, tremulously, Draco turned to face the man, head bowed, eyes averted.

"Well, aren't you a pretty thing?" the man grinned as his small eyes swept over the young man's lean body. "Off to meet somebody, are you? Or maybe you're on your own?" The last part of that sentence was barely more than a drunken, lust-filled rasp.

Draco flushed. His mouth had suddenly gone as dry as parchment and he wanted Harry. Oh, how he wanted his Harry!

"Why don't you 'nd me go down that little alley just there, eh?" the ghastly apparition slurred. "I'll keep you company…" He made a lunge for Draco's wrist. "Come on, Blondie."

It took less than half a second for Draco's mind to go into automatic; the only thing that the young Malfoy could understand was that he was scared and in danger and there was no way he could physically overpower this guy…

He screamed, "Get off me!"

There was a bang and, before any of the onlookers could comprehend what was happening, Draco had run off, leaving his attacker on the ground.

If there had been a wizard present, they would have recognised the distinct smell of childish, uncontrollable magic.

* * *

Harry jerked awak as the front door slammed and the sound of hurried footsteps sounded in the hall. 

"Draco?" he called, sitting groggily up. "Is that you?"

No answer.

Frowning, Harry pushed himself up from the sofa and followed his ears into the bedroom where Draco was lying on their bed with his back to Harry. He was curled up on his side, knees tucked up under his chin.

Harry bit his lip worriedly and sat down beside him. "Drake?" he whispered. "You okay?"

Sniffling, Draco sat up, eyeing Harry with a faint trepidation. "I didn't mean for you to notice me," he said. ""I know you want to be left alone. I-I was going to stay out longer but…" Draco gave a little shudder and turned away.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I'm sorry for getting mad at you. I know you wanted to go out, but I just _really_ didn't feel like it tonight."

"I wouldn't have gotten in your way. If you had let me stay home, I mean." Then, guiltily, "I did a bad thing, Harry."

"What? What did you do?"

"I erm…I did magic. But I didn't mean to Harry! I _swear_ I didn't! There was a- a man who started to talk to me…" The young blonde wrung his hands anxiously as he continued his story," "I tried to walk away, Harry, but he wouldn't let me. Then he tried to touch, he tried to take me somewhere…I-I didn't like it. It scared me Harry, I wanted _you_ there. And then...and then I did magic."

Harry didn't say anything. He just sat in the bed and contemplated his duvet, a look of utter disappointment written across his face..

Draco shuffled a little closer, head cocked anxiously to one side. "Harry? Harry, are you mad?" he asked timidly. "I couldn't help it, really I couldn't! It just sort of…happened…"

"What are you?" Harry suddenly burst out angrily, making Draco jump. "A fucking child? Only little kids can't control their magic, Draco! Do you _realise_ how much danger you could have put yourself in?"

"He was going to rape me, Harry," Draco whispered. "I didn't know what to do. If you'd been there-"

"So it's _my_ fault now? _I'm_ to blame for your stupidity am I?"

"No! I wasn't blaming you but-"

Why did you talk to him?" Harry continued, his voice rising at an alarming rate. "Why did he even come near to you?"

"I-I-I don't know! Please, Harry-"

Did you come onto him?" Potter's hands were balled into fists now. "Were you planning to screw him all along?"

Draco blanched. "Why're you being like this?" he asked, voice quavering. "You know I don't want anybody except you!"

Harry's piercing eyes narrowed. "And how the hell should I know that?" he demanded cruelly. "Going out on our own, all dressed up, looking like a fucking hooker!"

"Stop it Harry!" cried Draco, clutching at Harry's arm. "Stop talking like that! I know you don't mean-"

Jerking his arm away, Harry snarled, "You don't know shit, Draco! You are just a stupid little boy who can't fucking control himself! Grow up!"

And with that, The Boy Who Lived stormed away, leaving Draco staring after him, devastated and confused.

* * *

Running distracted hand through his hair, Harry paced the length of their tiny kitchen, feeling exceptionally wound up and not just with Draco. The worst thing was, Harry knew that he was being an unreasonable bastard and, if he was going to be totally honest with himself, it didn't _actually_ have much to do with Draco possibly getting them both into quite serious trouble. 

Harry absolutely _detested_ the notion that Draco was being touched by anybody other than himself. It drove him to distraction. Further, actually, if he really put his mind to it…

'_Damn that boy!'_ Harry thought viciously, slamming a fist down upon the counter top. _'Damn him and his bloody eyes!'_

* * *

It was at least three hours later before Draco summoned up enough courage to go and talk to Harry. 

Sliding off the bed, the young Malfoy crept from their room and picked his was carefully down the hall- half wanting to turn back.

Harry was lying on the sofa, facing away from the door, his chest rising and falling in a way that you only did when you were sleeping.

"Harry?" Draco murmured, hovering by the settee.

A slight frown graced Harry's features and a slight sound rose up from his throat. "Mmm…"

Draco knelt by Harry's side, hands just an inch away from his face. "I didn't _really_ want to go out tonight. I would've stayed in, if you had let me. I wouldn't have gotten in your way."

The raven haired boy's lips parted slightly, "So?"

"So, I didn't go looking for trouble. I would never cheat on you, Harry. Never in a million years."

The sincerity in the blonde's voice made Harry's eyes open a little and he pushed himself up onto his side, so that he could face Draco properly.

"I know," he said, brushing a hand across Draco's cheek, who smiled with relief. "I'm sorry for yelling," Harry continued. "I just want to keep you all for myself. I want to keep you untainted."

At this, Draco's smile became even more brilliant. Without a moment's hesitation, he leaned up and gave Harry a peck on the cheek. "Thank you Harry."

"So you should be," came the gruff response, although the delight in his emerald eyes gave him away.

Harry sat up and swung his legs around, making room on the sofa so that there was enough room for Draco to sit. Not that he needed to, as it turned out that Draco's preferred seat was Harry' s lap.

The blonde sighed contentedly as he nuzzled the hollow of Harry's neck with his nose. Harry scowled ahead of him, but made no attempt at moving the odious Draco. He had learnt quickly that compromise meant everything to Draco which, in turn, meant that if Harry let him have his way now, then Draco couldn't protest later when Harry would, undoubtedly through him across the bed and have his wicked way with him.

Harry smirked and petted his boy's fine hair, lightly kissing the crown of Draco's head.

* * *

A/N: first off, this my first attempt at anything slightly resembling romance, so please forgive me. Second, the title 'Sorditity' is copy writed to holly lizzy and isn't a real word. She said it in french and I wrote it down in my notbook and fell in love with it. It doesn't acutally mean anything. and thirdly, this is an experiment, if people like it, i shall continue it maybe not on this account, if they don't...well, then i won't :-)

Lily xxx


	2. How things began

Draco lay on his side, his naked body half concealed by the blanket, and stared vacantly into the darkness. His entire being ached with both the physical pain of violent sex and the unbearable mental ache that came with the knowledge that Harry still hated him for his foolishness.

He had been so sure, when they had cuddled on the sofa, that they were okay, that Harry had forgiven him…Draco had just wanted to stay as they were, with his Harry's arms wrapped securely around him, promising love and security. When Harry had stood up and tried to tug him into the bedroom, Draco had protested. Surely Harry would've known that the last thing Draco wanted was to be 'taken' by an irate young wizard, who was fierce at the best of times…

"Harry, please…not tonight, okay?"

"For fuck sake Draco!" Harry had snapped, bottle green flashing warningly. "You owe me, remember?"

Draco had winced at this. There was something about the word 'owed' that made him feel dirty, cheap. As though he was some common whore and not the boy friend of the Hero of the Wizarding World. But Draco had obediently followed Harry, gritting his teeth and barely making a sound to suggest that Harry was hurting him.

There would be bruises tomorrow, Draco realised with a grimace. The he sighed, it wasn't as though it hadn't happened before. There was something about him, Draco had realised, that seemed to attract overzealous, quick-tempered people.

* * *

Harry lay on his back, staring up at the dark ceiling- Draco was curled up beside him, his back to Harry.

Last night had been good, Harry had decided. _Really_ good. Then again, it always was with Draco. But just as Harry had begun to lose himself in ecstasy, a faceless image of a man invaded Harry's mind. The man who had dared to lay his filthy, unworthy hands on Draco. _His_ Draco.

He couldn't, as much as he tried, rid himself of the image of his beautiful angel being kissed, being fucked, by another man…and enjoying it. Of course, Harry knew that he was being entirely ridiculous. He had seen the state that Draco was in when he came home. He had witnessed the blonde's devastation when Harry had accused him of looking for trouble.

Glancing over at the young man who was sleeping beside him, a stab of guilt shot through Harry's stomach. He hadn't meant to hurt Draco. He hadn't meant to let his anger get the better of him. But the finger-mark bruises on Draco's shoulders glared at him, reminding him of the fact that he always allowed his emotions get the better of him. Even if it hurt other people.

Turning over onto his side, Harry snaked an arm around Draco's waist and kissed his shoulder, not hearing the whimper that escaped from Draco's lips at the sudden physical contact.

He would try harder, Harry promised himself. He would try harder to control his anger. He truly loved Draco and hated it when he hurt the gorgeous blonde. But really, Draco should know better than to piss Harry off…

* * *

When Harry had first stumbled across Draco Malfoy it had been just over a year and a half since The War had ended; Voldemort had been vanquished, peace had been restored and families had been reunited.

The families of Death-Eaters, though, were much less fortunate. Land that had once belonged the pure-blooded aristocrats had been officially 'claimed' by the new Ministry and had been bought to build housing for muggle-borns and those whose homes and been torn down.

Harry had turned his back on the Wizarding world not a week after he had destroyed Voldemort; finally deciding that he deserved a bit of peace.

Exchanging his various inheritances into sterling, Harry had brought a small apartment in the centre of London, with enough space for him and a friend if he invited one over. The Boy Who Lived retched at the thought of sharing his life permanently with someone.

It was late November and Harry had just spent the passed three hours searching hopelessly for Christmas presents for various members of the Weasley clan, Christmas shopping was _not_ one of Harry Potter's talents.

Feeling very much in need of a little 'light relief', Harry was wandering down the back streets of Soho, when he almost tripped over a young man who was crouched, sobbing, in the gutter.

It was not unusual for Harry to come across prostitutes who had gotten on the wrong side of a client or employer and normally, Harry would have simply walked away. But there was something about this one that had made him stop.

At first, he was sure that his eyes were playing tricks on him. It couldn't _possibly_ be…but the hair, that distinctive shade of white-blonde…Harry would've recognised it anywhere.

Crouching down beside the man, Harry shook him lightly. "Malfoy?"

The blonde head- now almost grey with dirt- jerked up, grey eyes locking with green. For a moment there was no recognition, only a sort of wary terror. But then the metaphorical light bulb flashed on and the young Malfoy's eyes widened in shock and humiliation.

Harry's hand shot out and grabbed hold of Malfoy's wrist before the blonde could get away. The second Harry touched him, Malfoy froze; becoming as docile as a whipped dog and just as shaky. Dirty blonde hair hung in a lank curtain which concealed Malfoy's face from Harry.

"Let me go, Potter," he hissed, trying to pull away.

But Harry's grip simply tightened. "What're you doing here? I wouldn't have thought that this part of London was quite up your street."

Silver flashed up and the shadow of a Malfoy sneer appeared on Draco's lips, "It's a free country, Potter," he spat. Harry noticed, with interest, the way Malfoy's eyes kept darting up the street, as though he was expecting somebody. "I can go where I like."

Now it was Harry's turn to smirk. "That's funny. I seem to recall your name in the _Prophet_ under the heading '_Most Wanted Wizards in Britain'_. I suppose you're down the Leaky Cauldron every Friday night are you?"

"Shut up!" Malfoy snarled, jerking his head up. There was a bruise- a deep purple rimmed with red- adorning the pale boy's face, just below his left eyes. Dried blood contrasted starkly with his pallid skin. All in all, Harry thought, it was really quite artistic.

Malfoy now was certainly a far cry from the arrogant brat Harry had detested at Hogwarts. He deserved it though, Harry assured himself, a little more viciously than necessary. He deserved whatever had happened since the war, for what he had done to Harry and the people closest to him.

"So what happened to you then?" demanded our impetuous you Potter demanded. "Who knocked you about?"

Draco flinched a little and turned his face away, "None of your fucking business, Potter."

Harry was about to retort, to make some snide comment- he wanted to hurt Malfoy and humiliate him- but suddenly a sharp, furious voice reverberated down the dank, bleak alley;

"Oi! Malfoy!"

Draco froze, his whole body tensing as a man strode down towards them. As he approached the man- tall, muscular, with very little hair- looked down upon Harry, appraising him, before he turned his ugly face to Draco. The blond trembled, moving unconsciously closer to Harry.

"Dan wants you back," the man spoke in a strong northern accent, which Harry strained to understand. "He says you're to go home."

Draco's hand drifted to the corner of his mouth where a small amount of blood had gathered as he surveyed the messenger with obvious distress.

"Unless, of course…" the man looked to Harry and a hideous smile appearing on his repulsive features. "Unless this fine gentleman is ah…makin' you an offer, like?"

Draco looked to Harry quickly, eyes wide with desperation.

Harry frowned. "An offer?"

"Yeah. An offer, an agreement, a _price_." He leered, moving his face right p to Harry's so that Harry could see all the bits of food in his teeth. "How much are you willin' to pay for our young Mr Malfoy, eh? Dan's pride an' joy he is. He ain't cheap, that's for sure."

Harry recoiled somewhat as he finally caught on.

Draco's head was bowed with humiliation, but still Harry felt the sharp silver of Draco's eyes as they bored into him from behind lowered lashes; silently pleading- _Help me, Harry Potter. You saved the Wizarding World, but what about me?_

Swallowing hard and kicking himself for doing it, Harry managed to rasp out, "How much, then?"

The ogre pondered this for a while, wondering how much he would be able to get away with. "Well…that all depends on how long. Don't it?"

"_Christ!_" Harry muttered. "Fine umm…I dunno. Three, four days?"

"Mmm…" Once again he regarded the thin blonde boy like he was a sheep at a country market. "I'd say three hundred a day, so that's nine hundred quid. Well, let's say a grand, shall we?"

Harry licked his lips, hardly aware that he was nodding his agreement. "Cheque?"

The man snorted, "You kiddin' me? No, mate. Cash or nothin'."

Not even attempting to hide his detainment, Harry thrust his hands into his pockets and thrust a handful of notes into the other's thick hands with a hiss, "You disgust me."

The man shrugged, the ghastly smile plastering itself back onto his grotesque face. "Pleasure doing business with you, sir." He smirked at Draco, who was stood shivering next to Harry, "Have fun Malfoy."

* * *

A/N: Thankyou for the wonderful feed back! It's much much MUCH appreciated I'm afraid I'm not ver good at this, so you'll have to forgive it's lacking standards lol! But please keep reviewing! Oh, on the subject of 'A Child called Draco', well, I'm afraid a new character is giving me a bit of bother, but i have several drafts, so it shouldn't be too long!

Lily xxx


	3. Bugger it!

Chapter Three: Bugger it

_Would you mind if I hurt you?  
Understand that I need to  
Wish that I had other choices  
Than to harm the one I love _

What have you done now?

I know I'd better stop trying  
You know that there's no denying  
I won't show mercy on you now  
I know I should stop believing  
I know that there's no retrieving  
It's over now  
What have you done?

What have you done now?

I, I've been waiting for someone like you  
But now you are slipping away  
What have you done now?  
Why, Why does fate make us suffer  
There's a curse between us  
Between me and you

What have you done?  
What have you done now?  
What have you done ?  
What have you done now?

* * *

Neither Harry nor Draco spoke a word on the bus journey back to Harry's apartment; Harry's mind was still reeling with the realisation that he had just _bought_ his childhood nemesis. For _a thousand_ pounds, no less! Harry may have been rich, but that was still a hell of a lot of money. Draco, on the other hand, was burning with humiliation and refused to look anywhere but at his feet. He had been so sure that things couldn't possibly get any worse…that he couldn't sink any lower…and now this!

'_At least Potter wasn't in Slytherin,'_ thought Draco earnestly. _'I never thought I'd say this, but thank god for Gryffindors!'_

Letting them both into his apartment, Harry threw his keys down upon the counter and stalked into the living room without a backwards glance at Draco, who was left hovering awkwardly by the front door- not really sure whether he was supposed to follow him…not really sure whether he even _wanted_ to follow the boy who he now effectively belonged to.

Draco winced, wrapping his arms as tightly around him as he could without it hurting and slowly made his way into the room in which Harry was now slouched down on the settee.

He looked around with interest, trying to take in every little detail of his new surroundings. One thing Draco noticed, with a pang of relief, was that Potter kept his home clean. If there was one thing that Draco detested especially, it was a dirty house. He had stayed in many since he fled Malfoy Manor. He had even thought, in a single moment of desperation, that maybe Azkaban would be a better option, even if it were just for the cleanliness.

Draco had dismissed this almost immediately.

The kitchen- attached simply by a wooden work surface- was Draco's idea of heaven. Every surface shone and there was not a scrap of mould to be seen. Draco thought that he would be quite happy to just sit out the rest of his days in that room. His eyes fluttered closed and a dreamy smile appeared on his grimy face as he imagined it…

Harry twisted around and raised a dark eyebrow at Draco's expression. He coughed loudly, bringing the blond abruptly back to reality. "When you have _quite_ finished," he said dryly.

Draco's whimsical smile vanished instantly, his eyes snapped to the ground and, once again, he was transformed back into the prostitute Harry had just dragged off the street.

Harry pushed himself onto his feet and walked slowly around the sofa to stand directly in front of Draco. Carefully, he ran his fingers over the stark bruise, which marred the pale boy's face, and traced his jawbone in an almost-tender gesture.

Draco tensed his body, clenching his hands by his side, but did not move away. He looked up at Harry through long lashes and whispered very quietly, "What do you want from me, Potter?"

Harry surveyed him, green eyes serious and somewhat dark behind his glasses. He held the young Malfoy's face in his hands. Draco was given the impression, with slight uneasiness, that the green-eyed wizard was literally, searching his soul.

Then Harry's hands slumped to his sides and he turned away with a sigh. "I don't know."

Whatever Draco had been expecting, it had not been that.

It would have almost been better, he thought unhappily, if he had just been forced into the bedroom and pushed onto his back. At least Draco would've known what to expect. Not knowing and being given no clue was a thousand times worse than any perverse pleasure inflicted upon him by some grimy friend of Dan's.

"You'd better go wash," Harry spoke softly, his back to Draco. "Stick your clothes in the washing machine. There's a spare dressing gown hanging up in the bathroom you can use."

"Sure. Thanks."

"No problem."

* * *

Slicking his wet hair back behind his ears, Draco critically assessed his appearance in the bathroom mirror. The steam from his bath had certainly cleared his senses and he was finally able to assess his situation properly.

It would be fine, the young blonde thought ruefully, looking himself in the eye. After all, this sort of thing was hardly a rarity in Draco's life since Dan had picked him up…and it was just for three days, so he may as well make the best of it.

And besides, this was Potter- Golden Gryffindor- whose charity was renowned. Who knows, maybe Draco would be able to get something out of this too.

Dabbing a tiny bit of gloss onto his lips, Draco pouted at himself. Ravishing, even if he did say it himself and so deliciously fuckable. The bruise only heightened the image of complete venerability that most of the people that Draco had encountered seemed to favour. And Potter definitely seemed like the dominant type…

A horrible tightness suddenly developed in Draco's chest, causing the blonde to grimace and clutch at the porcelain bowl of the sink. _How the hell had he gotten himself into this situation? What was going to happen now?_

"Oh god oh god oh god!!"

* * *

Harry swivelled around in his seat for the eleventh time to check the clock. Quarter to eleven…Malfoy had been the bathroom for forty-six minutes.

Doing a quick mental calculation, Harry came to the conclusion that it didn't take _anybody _forty-six minutes to have a bath. Not even a long bath. Maybe he's killed himself! Harry thought with a horrible lurch, jumping up and sprinting over to the door.

Knocking once, he called out, "Malfoy? You alright in there?"

"Yeah…" came the reply, after a moment of silence. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You've been in there ages."

"I-I'll be out in a moment. Sorry."

"Okay. Don't worry about it. Take as long as you want."

Harry waited a moment for the blonde to reply. But there was none and he turned away with a sigh.

"Potter, "he told himself sternly. "You are, officially, an _arse_."

* * *

Thank you, as ever, to everybody who has reviewed. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Coincidently there is a Harry Poter Obbsesion group on bebo . com (link on my profile) for all those Potter Fans in the UK. We need publicity"!"

Lily xx


	4. Draco's story

Draco emerged from the bathroom eventually, wrapped in a bathrobe and leaving a wet trail behind him on the floor. His clothes- dirty and torn- were clutched in a bundle to his chest.

Clearing his throat at the back of Harry's head, Draco took a hesitant step towards the sofa. "Erm…where d'you want to me to put these again?"

Harry turned quickly, slightly surprised that the blonde had finally decided to vacate the bathroom. Green eyes swept appraisingly over the lean body, which was concealed underneath a fluffy bathrobe.

Draco flushed as he felt himself being scrutinised. True, it was in a much gentler way than he had become accustomed to, but he still felt like he was a house-elf, under scrutiny by a potential master…having previously been a pureblooded aristocrat, this was not a feeling that Draco had ever become accustomed to.

"Just ah…" Harry licked his lips, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. He gestured vaguely towards the washing machine in the corner of the kitchen. "Just stick it in there for now…I'll do it later."

Draco lingered at the machine for far longer than was necessary, trying to prolong the inevitable. Every item of clothing, be it a t-shirt or sock, was carefully placed in the cylinder and the young Malfoy's heart-beat was getting faster and faster as each garment left his fingers.

"So, what happened?"

Grimacing, Draco rose slowly. "What do you mean?" he asked unconvincingly.

"I mean," said Harry patiently. "How the hell did you become a London hooker?"

At this, Draco blanched and said in a low voice, "I am _not_ a prostitute, Potter."

"Could've fooled me, _Malfoy_."

"Fuck off!"

The venom and pain in those two words made Harry realise that he'd gone too far. But it was difficult for him to realise that this skinny young man with a cut lip and mistrusting eyes was the same arrogant prick he had known at school.

"I'm sorry," Harry said sincerely. "I didn't mean to pry."

"Yeah, well you did. I suppose being a Gryffindor you can't help being a nosy git."

Humiliation always brought the very worst side of any Slytherin and Draco was, most certainly, _not_ an exception to this rule.

The sympathy vanished from Harry's eyes and was replaced with utter contempt. "When are you going to grow up, _Malfoy_?" he spat. "Bloody hell! You've been living in the back-streets of muggle London for god knows how long and you're _still_ acting like a spoilt little prince! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Hard silver stared back at him.

"What is wrong with _me_?" Draco spat. "I don't go around _buying_ people as though they're collector's items! What would your virtuous friends think about_ that_ Potter? Is someone's life really worth only fifty quid to you?"

Harry flushed heavily, but refused to be stared down. "Stop romanticizing, Malfoy. You know bloody well that it wasn't like that. Besides, what would have happened to you if I hadn't come along? It looked like you were in a hell of a lot of trouble to me!"

"Oh, so you only did it to be _chivalrous_?"

Harry bit back the 'Yes' that was about to burst out. But what else could he say? To be honest, he had absolutely no idea what had possessed him to do such a ridiculous thing.

"Whatever," he said, turning his back on the blonde boy. "I'm going to bed."

Instinctively, Draco stepped forward, suddenly anxious. "What about…what about me?" he asked quietly.

"You?" Harry surveyed him with a contempt that made Draco's stomach curl into knots. "What about you? _You_ obviously don't want to be here, so why don't you just bugger off back to the gutter."

The first thought that popped into the Malfoy's head was to snipe back _'Well, don't you want your money's worth then?'_ But, realising that that probably wasn't the _best_ way to go, considering the circumstances, he exchanged it for a meek, "Forgive me."

The Boy who Lived was rendered utterly speechless; he stared at Draco as though he had suddenly sprouted a trunk.

"What did you say?" he managed to get out eventually.

"Forgive me," repeated Draco, head bowed. "I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. Because I am…grateful I mean. Like you said, I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't…if you hadn't come along and done what you did. Thanks Potter."

Harry's bottle-green eyes softened, realising how excruciatingly painful it must have been for Malfoy to admit that to him. "Come on," he said, taking hold of Draco's hand. "Let's go talk."

As he lead Draco into his bedroom, Harry didn't noticed the flicker of trepidation that crossed the blonde's pale features and nor did he see the way that Draco wiped the back of his free hand across his eyes.

* * *

"What do you want to talk about?" Draco asked dully, sitting cross-legged on Harry's bed. He couldn't remember the last time he had even _seen_ a bed this soft or clean. The very thought of the things he had slept on recently made him shudder with disgust. Whatever Potter wanted from him, Draco decided, at least he was somewhere clean.

"I want to know how the hell you got yourself into such mess," Harry replied with the trace of a smile. "I want to know who that man was. And you're going to tell me."

Draco bit back the instinct to tell Harry where he could stick it. "He's a…friend of a friend."

"What friend? Your pimp?"

"Fuck off, Potter!" Malfoy snarled for what had to be the hundredth time that night. "I told you before! I'm _not_ a fucking prostitute!"

Harry cocked his head to one side and said nothing. But that look said everything and Draco bowed his head miserably.

"It didn't start out like that," he whispered. "He said he had some spare room where I could stay. He said he'd help me out…I was only sixteen. I didn't have anywhere to go and I hadn't a clue about the muggle world."

"Did he know?" Harry asked, interrupting the story. "That you were a wizard?"

"Are you kidding me?" Draco almost laughed. "Of course not! No one does! They all just thought I was some stupid rich kid from the country. I guess they were right in a way…Anyway, yeah, Dan took me in and set me up. He was decent enough, as far as muggles went and he didn't ask for anything in return for a while. He used to take me out too, introduce me to his friends…" he looked down at his hands and sighed heavily. "I that's where things started to go wrong…"

"What? You didn't get on with them?"

"No. Quite the opposite actually. They liked me. A lot. I thought they were being friendly. I guess I was pretty naïve at that time… anyway, the next thing I knew, Dan was going on about how I'd better start making a contribution." Draco laughed bitterly, "I suppose you can see where this is going. I hated it, the guy was an ogre and I could hardly move after….I wanted to run as far away as I could but there was nowhere I could go…I wasn't a legal adult, I had no qualifications and no money, so what else could I do expect what Dan told me to?"

Harry listened in silence- a strong combination of sympathy and respect for his former enemy made his heart bleed and, for the first time that evening, he was reassured that he had done the right thing.

"At first, it wasn't frequent. Maybe a couple of times a month, so I could just forget about it and pretend it wasn't happening the rest of the time. And then I guess people started talking and Dan took me to more and more people, strangers most of them who'd heard of a cute blonde kid who looked like a thirteen year-old and would do anything for a hundred quid."

"So I was over charged?" Harry said jokingly, starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"No, not really," Draco inspected his fingers nails. "My time is valuable, you got a good deal. I'm probably worth more now than I ever was as a Malfoy. Men who are so unpleasant and repulsive that no one else will have them will pay good money for my company. It's nice to be wanted."

"So what happened tonight? You didn't look so happy about it when I found you. Who beat you up?"

Draco chewed his bottom lip, fiddling with a crease in the sheets. "He gets mad sometimes," the blonde murmured softly. "And sometimes people aren't pleased with me. He has a vicious temper and I piss him off sometimes…quite a lot actually. I just needed some space tonight. It wasn't the first time I had walked out and I'd always go back later, when things had settled down."

Not knowing what to say, Harry watched Draco with a frown. It scared him somewhat that everything he'd been told made so much sense! Thinking about everything carefully, Harry honestly couldn't think of a practical alternative to how Draco's situation could've turned out. But, being a Gryffindor, Harry still felt unnecessarily guilty and more than a little responsible for the danger and vulnerability the Slytherin now faced.

"What do you want with me, Potter?" Draco asked again. "You know what I've become, you've paid good money to drag me out the gutter for three days, so what are you going to do with me now?"

"Nothing," Harry said with a sigh. "I'm tired and I want to sleep. Today's been too weird and I can't think straight."

Draco looked surprised. "I pour my soul out and all you want to do is sleep? If you were as noble as you make out to be, you'd return the favour and tell me how you got to the point where you could be so frivolous."

"I don't think," Harry murmured, leaning back on the pillows, "that you are in any position to make bargains. In any case," he yawned. "There really isn't much to tell. People died, I got left a load of money end of."

Feeling somewhat put out, Draco privately thought that there was much more to it than that, but didn't think it wise to push the subject.

The two young men sat- or lay, in Harry's case- in silence; Draco, deep in his own thoughts and heavy with worry and Harry, sleepy with a rather bad headache.

"Potter?" Draco whispered suddenly, not looking up from his hands.

The raven haired man raised his head, eyes half closed. "Hmm?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Do you really want to?" Harry asked with obvious astonishment.

"No not like that!" the blonde was quick to rectify. "I mean…I mean…just to sleep. I-if you don't mind, of course. I know that I am in no position to ask favours," Draco continued quickly, his meekness taking Harry quite by surprise. "But I would be…grateful not to be alone tonight."

"Sure. Whatever." Harry shifted over to make room and Draco, smiling appreciatively carefully slipped beneath the covers and curled up on his side, facing away from Harry.

Leaning over, Harry reached for the light switch. " 'Night Malfoy."

"Goodnight Potter."

A/N: Thankyou for everyone's patience :D As you have probably noticed, I seem to a rather a lot 'on the go' so to speak and am struggling a little to keep up...thankyou to all who take the time to review and everyone who reads :)

Luvs to all! Lily xxx


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